This invention is in the field of water-base alkaline cleaning solutions that are used to descaled and derusted objects made of steel and other iron alloys. The soiled object that needs to be descaled and derusted, for example a drill bit, may be contaminated with a water-insoluble machining lubricant and a smut consisting generally of machining lubricant and small metal particles congealed together. Conventional water-base alkaline cleaning solutions do not have the ability to completely dissolve machining lubricants. The present invention has this ability.
An example of a widely-used water-insoluble machining lubricant is a machining lubricant manufactured by The Orelube Corporation, of Plainview, N.Y. 11803, and sold under the trademark BOELUBE.RTM. 70106. This product, BOELUBE.RTM. 70106, is a long chain alcohol-base machining lubricant, which is a free flowing, water-insoluble liquid at room temperature. Further information about the composition of BOELUBE.RTM. 70106 may be found in its Material Safety Data Sheet of Aug. 6, 1997 which is incorporated by reference herein.